Locked in Their Towers
by Unicorn of Castiel
Summary: Life isn't a fairy tale. Especially not for the Black Widow and Winter Soldier. It's surprising what sort of innocence a child can bring to a story though...Once Upon A Time, there lived a handsome Prince. (Buckynat) (Stony)


**AUTHORS NOTE: My Buckynat saga continues. I intended to do some more solo Bucky one shots next. But this concept gripped me tight and didn't let me go until I was done. So Enjoy!**

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Once Upon A Time, there was a handsome Prince. He fought in many battles. Until, one day, the Dark Knights took him away from his brother in arms.

The Dark knights cast a terrible curse over him. The Prince was locked away in a tower, but his body was given puppet strings that only the Dark Knights could control.

There was a window in the tower. Where the Prince could see his puppet strings being pulled. There were other towers out there too. He watched every day. Until he saw a beautiful Princess in a nearby turret.

Her hair was the color of flame and the prince was intrigued, for it was cold in his tower. They spoke through their windows. They broke the bricks of the tower until they could build a bridge to one another. Their puppet strings still belonged to the Dark Knights – but they built their bridge stronger with every passing day.

The Dark Knights soon saw the bridge – and they were filled with rage. The Dark Knights were furious that the curse they'd cast on the Prince and Princess was weakening. And so they knocked the bridge down and the Prince's tower was sealed with ice. And the Princesses tower sealed with fire.

The Dark Knights cursed them again. This curse tightened their strings. Removed the knowledge of how to build the bridge from their minds. The Prince and Princess waited in their towers alone.

Years past, until one day a Huntsman found the Princess and helped her escape. Her curse was broken. The Prince's tower was cold for many more years. When hope was all but lost, against all odds, the Prince's brother in arms appeared beyond the towers windows. The Prince's curse began to ware away. He found a way to grip his puppet strings once more.

The Brother in Arms and Huntsman were friends, and the Prince and Princess found each other once more. But they were changed without their curses. But they were grateful. They did not need to rebuild their bridge. But they did. Together they remembered what it was to work for the Light Knights. And they fought many more battles together. And they learned to live contently ever after.

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"Can you tell me it again, Daddy?" The voice was small and tired, winding down to sleep despite the question it asked. Steve laughed, slipping his hand from around his daughter and tucking her in.

"It's too late now, Maggie. You're falling asleep."

"Nu-uh." Maggie yawned out her protest. Steve folded away all the other books he had suggested before they'd settled into the same story Maggie always wanted. By the time Steve turned around, Maggie was asleep. Steve sighed, making his way back into the kitchen. Soft voices could be heard over the steam of the kettle and the clang of mugs. Steve didn't understand a word of it. Probably because the conversation was in Russian.

Bucky yawned as he made his way back to the couch when Steve entered. He handed Nat one of the steaming mugs and crashed down onto the cushions, wrapping a lazy arm around her and sipping his own drink, one leg on the coffee table.

"Hey," She greeted Steve as he entered. Bucky and Nat had baby sat until Steve came back. Tony was away ignoring the subject of conferences for Stark industries.

"Hey." Steve still sounded exhausted when he took a seat. The sort of exhausted that would knock him unconscious if Bucky and Nat didn't maintain conversation.

"Mag asleep?" Bucky asked. Steve mumbled and nodded. Bucky nodded too. "Still romanticizing me and Nat to make your daughter love you more?"

Steve laughed and opened his eyes again.

"Leave her alone. She likes it."

"Someone has to." Nat remarked from over her steaming mug. Bucky furrowed his brow.

"I love you too, doll face."

Natasha snorted and rolled her eyes.

"You don't have to _doll face_ me, James. It wasn't the best of times back then, was it?" Bucky shrugged and took another sip from his mug.

"Suppose not."

Nat sunk back into the sofa, but then nudged Bucky and nodded towards Steve. His head had lolled back, his mouth hanging open to the point that he'd began to drool. After a moment, his snores rattled the room. Natasha had the decency to whisper as she spoke.

"Can we leave or are we stuck here forever?"

"Steve's here. Maggie's asleep." Bucky laughed. "I think we can leave."

Nat and Bucky left their mugs out. Tony would hunt them down and kill them for it when he got back. They were too tired to care. They headed for the door, hand in hand.

"So, I know you hate Doll face." Bucky decided to broach the subject. "How about Princess?"

Nat gave him an unimpressed look and smirked. She kissed him before she pulled on her coat.

"Shut up, James."

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 **AUTHORS NOTE 2: Feedback is always welcome. Until next time, ta-ta *salutes***


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